


Unfortunate Complications

by Mikasize



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Co-Alphas, Consent, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Impatient Bucky, Omega Reader, Omega Verse, Possessive Alphas, Reader is a progressive little omega, Reader-Insert, Steve gets better, Steve is mean for a little bit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-18 05:20:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7301080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikasize/pseuds/Mikasize
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The reader has never really met an alpha that drew her in, until Bucky is rehabilitated after his time as the Winter Soldier and joins the Avengers. But even though she's not mated with Steve, as an unbound omega she determines who the pack alpha is, and the pack can't afford to have tension between alphas when there are missions to be accomplished.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Here's Bucky

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my first fic, and I didn't think I'd end up in the A/B/O universe, but here we are. I'm still trying to figure out all the nuances and rules, so please bear with me! I hope you enjoy it:)

“(Y/N), I want you to meet someone!” You woke up with a jerk, your hair flying around your face in fragrant tangles, trying to gather your bearings as a pounding began on your door. 

“Whaaa?” you croaked back, your voice rough from sleeping. You rubbed your eyes and threw the covers back, shivering as the cool air hit your legs. “Who’s there?” 

“(Y/N), it’s Steve. Are you still in bed? It’s noon!” You grimaced and looked at your clock. Why did you always get sucked into the dark side of YouTube at three in the morning? 

“I’ve been up since nine!” you called back, raking your fingers through your hair to try and gain some semblance of order. You were wearing a flimsy pair of shorts and a loose tank top, which you supposed could pass for normal clothes. No bra, but that didn’t matter if it was just Steve. You used to be nervous around him due to his alpha status and your omega position, but you had gotten to know one another and even with all the care avoiding during your heats and ruts you were close friends. But the intimacy stopped there, because even when you were dying for a knot, you just didn’t want to jeopardize the relationship you had cultivated. And he just didn’t do it for you that way. 

“(Y/N)? Did you fall back asleep?” Steve asked, amusement clear in his tone. You rolled out of the bed and stumbled to the door, throwing it open with a yawn. Steve stood there, looking as gorgeous as always, dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. You leaned against the doorframe, propping an elbow up and leaning your arm on it, shutting your eyes against the light from the hall. 

“Who am I meeting?” you said wearily, jutting your hip out and resting your hand on it. “We don’t have training today, do we?” 

You had the ability to read the emotions of your opponents and manipulate their feelings to an extent, which made you useful in negotiations and occasionally in fights. You pretty good in combat, and you could use your rank as an omega to deter betas and alphas from wanting to hurt you. Then with your gift you could sway them long enough for backup to arrive, or for you to take them out. You could barely sway the feelings of your fellow Avengers, though, due to their strength of will, but for HYDRA agents and other enemies of weaker mindsets you did alright. 

“Bucky’s here,” Steve said softly, and your eyes widened. You grinned, and threw yourself into his arms, ecstatic at the news. 

“Steve that’s amazing! You finally have him back!”

You had spoken extensively with Steve about his bond with Bucky, and the emotional toll it had taken on him when he discovered him as the Winter Solider. But now that Bucky was rehabilitated, Steve had a piece of his original life back. 

Steve hugged you back, and you noticed that his scent was… really strong. And smelled really good. You breathed in deeply, distracted enough to not hear the footsteps approaching. “Do you have a rut soon?” you asked curiously, wondering why you were just now sensing the strong change. God, he was intoxicating. 

“No,” Steve said, bemused by the question, and the fact that your scent had just increased tenfold. That often happened to omegas when they were aroused or in heat, but your heat wasn’t for two weeks––that’s why he wanted you to meet Bucky now. And you had never reacted to him like that before. 

“Steve?” A low, masculine voice made you jerk away from Steve, and you whirled around, feeling dizzy. There was a man in the hall, and you instantly felt your knees get weak when your eyes met his stormy blue ones. Damn. He had long, rough brown hair, broad shoulders, and a bionic metal arm. Bucky. 

“Bucky, what are you doing up here?” Steve asked, moving slightly in front of you. You caught your elbow in one hand, unable to look away from Bucky, or say anything. Oh no. The incredible scent wasn’t coming from Steve––though he smelled excellent as well. This was something else. You became incredibly aware that you were wearing thin pajamas, no bra, and your entire body felt hot. 

“I just smelled…” Bucky trailed off, still staring at you. He tore his eyes away and focused on his friend. “I just thought I’d meet you up here. Clint told me the way.” Another wave of dizziness hit you, and you stumbled to the wall, causing Steve to turn and lunge forward as you tipped over.

“(Y/N)?!” he yelled in alarm. “What’s the matter? Can you hear me?”

You weakly laughed. “I’m not feeling so hot, Cap.” That was a lie. Your temperature was rocketing. “Maybe you should have let me sleep.” You waved to Bucky, who stood frozen in place. An injured or discomforted omega was painful to endure for an alpha, and he no doubt was struggling with the urge to let Steve lead the situation or take over himself. 

“I’ll take you back to your room,” Steve said lifting you up. You tried to force a smile for Bucky, but it just couldn’t rise to your lips. His scent was still clouding your head, and your heartbeat accelerated. 

Steve deposited you neatly in your bed, and you gratefully sank into the pillows. You felt like shit. You would think that it was heat symptoms, but you weren’t due for a whole two weeks, and it never felt this bad. It was probably just the flu. “Can you call Bruce?” you asked weakly, and he nodded, brushing your hair back from your face. 

“I’ll get him right away. You just rest, alright?” You nodded, and he walked out, shutting he door behind him. 

“JARVIS, can you lower the temp in here?” you murmured, and Tony’s AI replied smoothly. 

“Of course. To what setting would you like it?” You groaned, and accepted the possibility that you had something a little stronger than the flu. 

“Just put it to my settings for my heat, please.”

The room cooled considerably, and you sighed at the slight modicum of relief. Where was Bruce? You really needed something to get rid of the dizziness. And Bucky’s scent still lingered, tantalizing you… Something told you that if you called for him, he would come, and he would know what was the matter with you. 

You lay prone in bed until a knock came on the door, and Bruce let himself in. The doctor’s beta presence was relaxing after the intensity of Bucky and Steve’s alpha natures, and you found that you were feeling a little better. Maybe you had just slept too long and gotten up too fast. 

“What’s up?” Bruce asked, sitting on the edge of your bed. You sat up and shrugged. 

“I feel really hot and dizzy, like I’m going into a heat, but not due for that for two weeks. Maybe I have the flu? I feel better now that I’ve been laying down.” He took your temperature and frowned. 

“It is higher than usual, but not heat-level high. You don’t have any other heat symptoms, do you?” You shook your head, and his brow furrow deepened. 

“It’s unusual for you to get sick due to your enhanced body, but it is possible. Why don’t you just rest for a few hours and see how you feel around dinner? I’ll give you something to sleep.” 

“That sounds good,” you said with a grateful smile. He handed you a small pill, and you threw it into your mouth. Bruce walked out, and after a few minutes you felt yourself fall into a dreamless sleep. 

––––

“Lazybones! Get up! Dinner’s in 30, and you need a shower, hun.” You groaned and rolled over, deja-vu hitting you. 

“Nat, just 10 more minutes. I’m sick!” Natasha rolled you over mercilessly and tickled your stomach, and you shrieked and wriggled, trying to escape her. 

“Bruce checked you again, your temp’s down,” she said, and you sighed, stretching your arms above your head. You opened your eyes, confused by the light streaming through your windows. Oh. Right. You’d been sleeping all day. And you did need a shower. 

“I’ll be down soon,” you said, but she didn’t move. You glanced at her, and she had a mischievous smile on her face. 

“You’re gonna meet Bucky,” she said, her smirk growing into a grin. And I may be a beta, but he is a fine looking alpha. He smells ridiculously good, like he’s on a rut!” 

“I’ve already met him,” you said, and then you sat up as a thought occurred to you. “I met him… right before I got dizzy.” You stared at her in horror. “I felt like I was going into my heat. Do you think he triggered me?! That can’t happen! It’ll mess with the whole team!” 

“Whoa, whoa, calm down,” Nat said worriedly. “You don’t feel like that anymore, right?” You shook your head. She sighed in relief. “Then you’re probably fine. I bet he just overwhelmed you––Steve was there too, right?” 

“Yeah,” you said, her words placating you. “But he did smell awesome. Steve’s never smelled that good to me––neither has Thor or Tony.” You worried your lip between your teeth. Thor was pair-bonded with Jane, and Tony with Pepper, so they were bound to smell less appealing, but Steve was free, and while you really wanted him during your heats, outside of that crazed cycle he was nothing like what Bucky was. 

“He’s a particularly potent alpha, I think,” Nat said thoughtfully. “HYDRA suppressed him, so now that he’s out of cryofreeze his hormones are raging. It’ll be bad when he’s on a heat.” She winked at you. “You’re scent is sweet when you’re just relaxing, too, and it’s intoxicating during your heat, even on suppressants. We’ll have to keep him away from you.” You flushed, and swung your legs out of the bed, testing them lightly on the floor before transferring your full weight. No dizziness accompanied the movement, and you stretched. 

“I’m going to go shower. I’ll see you in like twenty.” Nat nodded and hopped off your bed. She smacked your ass as she walked by, and you yelped. 

“Wear something cute for our new alpha!” You groaned and practically ran into the bathroom, making sure the water was cold. It was weird that Nat had called Bucky “our alpha,” rather than just “the alpha.” Steve was the leader in the group, and basically the lead alpha as well. If Bucky challenged that, even unintentionally, it could cause conflict. As an unbound omega, whoever possessed you was the alpha, so you had made a point of never sleeping with any of them, even when your heats and ruts matched up. And you had been so tempted with Steve. 

“I’m just a little sick,” you told yourself, letting the familiar scent of your shampoo soothe you. “Just a little off today.”  
You went down to dinner wearing a pair of dark jeans and a white tank top that said “Drink Me.” You loved Alice in Wonderland. The Avengers, besides Tony, were kind of not with the times, but the bottle was there, so people would hopefully get the reference. Pushing your damp hair out of your face, you wandered into the recreational area of the Avengers complex, which also contained the dining area. 

Amazingly, everyone was already there, and they looked up expectantly as you approached. “There’s our sick little omega!” Tony said cheerfully. You rolled your eyes and sat down between Nat and Clint, across from Steve and Bucky. Steve worriedly met your eyes, and you offered a smile. I feel better, you mouthed. He nodded in satisfaction, and helped himself to a few bread rolls. You tried to ignore Bucky’s eyes as they bored into you, but it was hard. He was an intense guy. 

“(Y/N), your scent got really strong earlier,” Thor said out of the blue. You dropped your fork in surprise, and it clattered under the table. All eyes turned to you. 

“Um, did it?” you said with a weak smile. “Weird. My hormones have been all over the place today––I think I’m coming down with something.” 

“You were definitely burning up earlier,” Bruce said. “But I think sleeping really helped.” You nodded, and thankfully everyone looked away. As the pack omega, even in your casual setting, when you were in distress, there was a lot of agitation among your fellow Avengers. If you were on your heat, the tower basically emptied, because you were in pain and none of them could help you. Well, they could help, but you wouldn’t let them. Bruce was the only one you saw because he had heat-suppressants, and sometimes Nat. 

You remembered the fork you had dropped, and slid under the table to grab it. You meant to jump back up quickly, but you lost your balance and crashed into someone’s legs. “Sorry!” you yelped, and the legs slid back to reveal a very confused Bucky. The instant your eyes met, you felt your skin start to burn again. Shit. Shit shit shit. He was such an alpha. 

You scrambled back and resurfaced to the table, and met Natasha’s eyes with blind panic. “I need some…thing,” you stammered out, aware that everyone could sense your pheromones. You took a tiny breath of the air and tested it, and Bucky’s scent hit you like a truck. At least it wasn’t just you. Geez, why couldn’t you just be a beta? You so didn’t want the entire complex knowing when you were horny. But were you even horny? You couldn’t tell. But the flashes running across your skin were messing with your head, and you needed privacy. 

Standing from the table brought on another wave of dizziness, but you ignored it and sprinted away, heading for the elevator. You fell over as you slid between the chrome doors, and you hit a button blindly. There was a jerk as you started to travel upwards, and you sighed in relief. You didn’t want to admit it, but you were probably being triggered by Bucky’s alpha presence. This was bad. You had never been this strongly affected by any alpha, and you really didn’t know what the procedure was now. How were you supposed to live with him if he made you dizzy and hot every time you made contact with him? At least you didn’t have cramps yet. 

You arrived at a floor that wasn’t your own, and you happily crawled out of the elevator. Crawling was easier than walking. You slumped against the wall and sighed, your body already cooling now that your proximity with Bucky was gone. Normally your symptoms lasted a lot longer, but maybe since you were so far from your heat it was brief. Hopefully that was the case. 

Anyways, where were you? You stood up shakily, and kept a hand pressed to the wall as you regained your balance. It was a residential wing, but you didn’t know who occupied it. You wandered along, and found yourself at a pair of glass doors that lead to a rooftop garden. Happy now, you went out, the cool air brushing lightly over your skin. You laid down in a patch of grass, and shut your eyes. How were you still tired? You had been sleeping all day, and part of the night, but even now… 

––––

You woke up to a soft cough, and you blearily opened your eyes, confused by the stars above your head and the chill all over your body. Why were you outside? 

“(Y/N), are you awake?” That was Bruce. You rolled onto your side and saw him sitting, holding a small case of pills. 

“Hi,” you yawned. “What time is it?”

“Midnight,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “Either you’ve been drugging yourself, or you’re just really tired.”

“I don’t know why I am!” you exclaimed. “It just hits me, and then I doze off.” 

“Well, you’re not sick,” he said, and you got a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach. “You and Bucky are setting one another off, bringing on your heat early, and his rut.”

“No,” you moaned. “That can’t happen!”

“Well, it can,” Bruce said. “But if it does, you two will probably end up… in a difficult position.” By that, you knew he meant knotted and physically bound together after sex. You had knotted before, with your first alpha, but that was years ago. Now you got by on suppressants, a little self-attendance, and an iron will. Which had been working quite well for you, until Bucky fucking looked your way. 

“What are those?” you asked, eyeing the pills. He glanced at them and offered them to you. 

“Suppressants. They’ll make it hard to scent you, so you and Bucky can coexist until your heat. He needs them more than you, but… after so many years without a rut, we can’t afford to set him back any more. So it’t up to you to be the strong one, alright? Don’t let him persuade you into bed––and he’ll try.” Bruce breathed deeply. “Your scent is ridiculously strong.”

“This sucks,” you said with a frown. “Why haven’t I ever reacted like this before? Steve doesn’t set me off.”

“I think you and Bucky might just have a stronger connection.” The doctor sounded almost apologetic. “And you could act on it, but with Steve as the reigning alpha, it would cause tension, and we have a mission coming up…” You nodded, understanding. 

“We can’t disrupt the hierarchy now,” you said. 

“This is a lot to ask of you, (Y/N), and I’m sorry. But Bucky can’t be trusted quite yet, and Steve’s more territorial than he lets on.” You laid back down, and took one of the pills. 

“This’ll be a fun few weeks, huh?” you laughed bitterly, and Bruce joined in. 

“It certainly will, (Y/N), it certainly will.”


	2. Careful Avoidance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader is trying her best to keep away from Bucky, but some things just don't go as planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here's chapter 2––I think this is gonna end up being like 4 chapters when all's said and done. There's some actual contact between Bucky and the reader in this one, and Steve gets a little jealous, and abuses his power as an alpha. I hope you're enjoying it so far, and thank you to those who left comments:)

You spent the next few days carefully avoiding Bucky and taking the suppressants. They made you feel a lot better, and dulled your scent as well as what you could smell, but he still seemed really uncomfortable. Maybe uncomfortable was the wrong word. He still seemed like an agitated alpha with no way of releasing tension because you were running away from him all the time. At least he wasn’t on a rut––yet. 

One night, around 1 a.m., when you were plagued by insomnia, you decided to go work off some steam. The training center was in the basement, and you slid on a sports bra, a tank top, and some shorts before taking the elevator down to the bottom floor. The air was cooler there, and you welcomed it. Your damn heat was due in three days, and you were waiting in dread for the cramps and crippling heat to assault you. 

You wandered into boxing room of the center and did a couple laps of the space to warm up, and then threw yourself at the punching bag, avoiding actual punching. Instead you worked on close combat blows, generating force with only a few inches to do so. It always started off easily, but grew exhausting after a half-hour. Once you had bruised both your arms, you stopped, and sat down against the wall, feeling drowsy. This may have not been the best idea, but at least you were worn out. 

“(Y/N)? Is that you?” You jolted into an alert state as a rough, low voice greeted you. Bucky stood in the doorway, wearing a black t-shirt and some loose sweatpants. 

“Hi Bucky,” you said, forcing a smile and standing. “I was just trying to get to sleep––I’ll leave now. Nothing like a little late-night training, huh? Just gets the blood flowing, am I right?” You knew you were babbling, but anything was better than staying there and letting him get wind of your scent. That just made it more painful for you both, especially him. But you hadn’t taken your pill that day due to excessive napping, and after avoiding him for so long, you were getting a very good sense to what you had been missing. Ugh. What an alpha. 

“Wait,” he said as you tried to slide around him. He lightly grabbed your arm, and the skin-to-skin contact made you flush. “Shouldn’t we try to get used to one another? Rather than trying to keep this avoidance up? It’s exhausting.”

“It is,” you agreed with a sigh. “But being around you makes me… uh… well, you know. I go full-omega when I’m near you.” 

“But you’ve been taking pills,” Bucky argued, his eyes darkening as you mentioned your rank. “And I just don’t see why we’re even going through all this trouble!” Without warning, he pushed you into the doorframe and kissed you. 

Your mind was blank for a second, and then you felt delicious heat pool in your stomach, and your whole body fucking shuddered because this is what you wanted––this was what you had been craving from him. His lips were soft, but his tongue was dominating and his body was hard in all the right places as he pressed into you. He groaned as you tangled your fingers in his hair, and he lifted you up, hiking your legs around his waist. 

“(Y/N),” he whispered when you pulled back. His hands were heavy on your hips, and you could feel his length through the sweatpants he wore. Damn. He was huge––in every sense. 

“This is…” you trailed off. 

“Amazing?” he offered. You felt your heart drop, because this really wasn’t good for the team, and with Steve and Tony already at odds, you couldn’t afford to change the head alpha now. 

“Not allowed,” you said firmly, gently disentangling yourself from him. The physical separation made you ache, but you managed. 

Bucky let you go, but he didn’t move away. “Why not?” he said, and you could tell he was getting frustrated. 

“Steve is our team alpha,” you explained. “I’m, in the loosest sense of the word, his. If I knotted with you, the hierarchy would change, and he’d be furious.” 

“But you don’t sleep with him!” Bucky said. “You don’t belong to him––we both know that.” 

You frowned, putting your hands on your hips. “Well, mister, I don’t belong to you either, and the team can’t afford conflict between two unbonded alphas right now!”

“‘Mister’?” Bucky asked, a smile forming on his lips. You bit your tongue and tried to keep a somber expression on your face, but it was hard. When he raised an eyebrow, you laughed, and then he was kissing you again. 

You knew you should push him away, maybe give him a slap for good measure, but it just felt so right to stand there in his arms, still laughing. “You’re perfect,” he murmured between kisses. “I hate it when you leave––I want to be around you all the time. And we don’t even know each other.” 

“I get that,” you gasped as he nipped at your neck. He ran his hands possessively over your back, but he avoided your ass. You had kissed Steve before, and while it had been nice, it was nothing like this. You could feel the raw energy between you, a channel opened by your connected lips. Slick was starting to form between your thighs, and you were hyperaware that your heat was imminent. Bucky could bring it on early if he kept this up. 

“If Steve wanted to keep you, he should have claimed you,” Bucky said, and you felt your resolve crumbling. He walked you back into the boxing room, and with surprising delicacy lifted you up and laid you down on the mats. He kept his body propped above yours, which was odd. 

You pressed a finger to his lips, stopping him. “You’re being oddly… un-alpha like.”

“How so?” he asked, grabbed your palm and kissing hotly. You couldn’t talk for a second as the sensation filled your body, but after a few moments you were ready. 

“Very polite, I guess? My first alpha never was this gentle––even out of rut.” 

Bucky sat up and pulled you with him, so you were on his lap, lightly straddling his hips. 

“I’m not on my rut yet,” he stated. “I don’t like to be all alpha all the time… What we’re doing now, I consider it more like courting. You’re independent; I can tell. I want you to feel like this is more of a normal relationship, where you have a lot of say in what we do.” He paused, a wrinkle forming in his brow. “Did that make sense?”

“An alpha and omega, in a… normal relationship,” you said slowly, and then you started to snicker. 

“What?” he said. 

You were having a giggle fit. “It… just… makes no sense! But I love the idea!” You leaned forward to kiss him, and then someone cleared their throat in the doorway. You both froze like guilty teenagers, and you peeked past Bucky’s hair to see Tony standing there, arms crossed. 

“Glad to see you’re both getting in shape,” he said dryly, and you scrambled off of Bucky, blushing when you felt the slick between your legs and noted your mussed hair. And you were starting to feel dizzy again. You nearly fell over in your attempts to distance yourself from Bucky, and he steadied you. As he did, the dizziness went away. Well damn. Maybe instead of trying to keep your distance, you should have been closing the gap. 

“Hi Tony,” you said, slightly miserable. “Do you want an explanation for anything?”

He crossed his arms, and you leaned slightly into Bucky for support. “I’m fine, I get the whole impending-heat-secret-rendezvous. But, I am curious as what you’re going to tell Steve when he comes down here in the morning and smells you two all over the place.” 

You raked your hands through your hair in agitation. “Tony, you’re bonded with Pepper! Don’t you get this?”

“Oh, so now you two are bonded?” Tony asked, waggling a finger at you both. You stiffened. Being bonded was very serious, and nothing to be taken lightly. You just wanted him to understand that this wasn’t just a casual hookup! Or was it? Bucky hadn’t said anything yet. 

“No,” you snapped. “But this is different than any other alpha! Even Nat called him ‘our’ alpha earlier today––tell me that’s a coincidence! Why is it so easy for me to ignore Steve?” 

“It’s a coincidence,” Tony said coldly. “Bucky, may I speak with you? (Y/N), you should go to bed and sleep this off. It’s nearly two in the morning.” You were being dismissed like a child. You glanced at Bucky, but his face was unreadable. Blinking back angry tears, you stormed out. How dare Tony? You had been working hard to try and stay away from the one alpha that had really appealed to you––and you may have temporarily failed––but that just wasn’t fair! You needed to talk to Bruce. It was so late, though, and you were still all slicked up. Damnit. The problems were just going to have to wait until the morning. 

You made it to your room before bursting into furious tears. Your emotional state was probably due to your imminent heat, but you knew you would have been mad regardless. Weren’t alphas supposed to protect you? Why were you the one trying to uphold the hierarchy? You jumped into the shower fully dressed and peeled your clothes off of you, trying to erase any scent of Bucky or your arousal. It was hard, but after thirty minutes of determined scrubbing, you finally felt clean. 

You fell into bed naked, wrapped in your towel, and glared at the ceiling. As you laid there, your rage dissipated, until you felt like an empty shell. Everyone in the team had struggles, and Steve certainly didn’t need to deal with defending his position when he needed to make sure Bucky was properly rehabilitated. As your pack leader, you could help him by staying away from Bucky. But when you had been kissing the damn rouge, Steve had vanished from your mind. No one had ever kissed you like that. And now you were probably going to go through your heat, more in agony than ever, and still totally alone. Unless you reached out to Steve, which you still didn’t want to do, or Bucky, which you still couldn’t do. It was better to go solo and affect no one but yourself. 

You drifted off like that, turning the possibilities for the pack in your head. Why was everything so complicated? 

––––

When you woke up, Natasha was sitting on the edge of the bed, lazily flipping through a book. When you groggily raised your head to look at her, the towel slipped off your body, and in your naked panic, you rolled off the bed and landed in a heap. The towel slid off and settled on top of you. 

“Relax, hun––you have everything I do.” She quirked an eyebrow. “Hopefully. I’ll ask Bucky, I guess.” 

“Oh no,” you moaned, trying to disappear under your towel. “We just made out!” 

“At two a.m. in the training room?” she asked dryly. 

“I didn’t know he was there,” you said sourly. “I just wanted to wear myself out. I feel like I can never get to sleep. And then once I am asleep, I don’t really get rest.”

“I bet it’s your heat,” she said sympathetically. “Your scent is already getting stronger.” She inhaled deeply. “Mmmm. That’s pretty nice.” You sat up and gathered your towel around you. It was mostly dried out, but still cold, which felt nice. Your jaunt with Bucky had probably brought your heat on early, which wasn’t terrible because it would be over with soon, but you needed the time to sort out whether or not you were going to ask Bucky to help you through it. And by help, you meant fuck you senseless and fill you with his knot. 

“You know, Nat, if I couldn’t smell you I’d say you were an alpha,” you joked, and then your bedroom door opened. “Come on!” you complained. “Doesn’t anyone knock?” 

“I’m sorry,” Steve said, before quickly turning around. You rolled your eyes. 

“It’s okay, Steve. I’ve got a towel, and Nat’s already seen the whole show.” Steve strode in, and you noticed his manner was more abrupt than usual, and his hands were clasped tightly behind his back. He wasn’t smiling. 

“Are you okay?” you asked, a little worried. You hadn’t done anything wrong… Had you?

“Nat, could you leave us?” he said, and she silently walked away, which was unlike her. The click as the door shut behind her was ominous. “The question is,” he continued, and your stomach twisted when you heard his icy tone. “Has Bucky seen ‘the whole show?’ Did you knot with him last night?” 

His words made you flinch, and you wished you weren’t sitting on the floor in the towel. It was so clear what your positions were, and you hated how it felt to be dominated without your consent. He never did this to you––he was a very fair alpha, and you didn’t know how to deal with him like this. 

“I didn’t,” you said. “We… we just kissed.” 

“Did you think about the pack?” Steve snapped. “Or were you just interested in satisfying your own need, since I’m not good enough?” Your throat constricted as he spoke, and you had to blink the tears in your eyes away. He would not see you cry. 

“I started to leave, and i-it just happened,” you stammered. 

“We have a vital mission coming up!” he thundered. “Bucky is in no state to become the alpha––he doesn’t know any of us! He doesn’t know you! And you just jumped right into his arms! Didn’t you think about anyone but yourself?! Do you ever?!” 

You sat stiffly, staring at the carpet, tears silently running down your face. His scent was tinged with his rage, and you had to take tiny breaths to not be overwhelmed by him. “I avoided him for days,” you choked out. “I didn’t know he would be there last night, and it takes away my dizziness when I touch him…”

“We’ve moved up the mission to tomorrow,” Steve cut in. You chanced a glance at him, and saw that he wasn’t even looking at you. His eyes were focused above your head, and they were emotionless. 

“But my heat is starting,” you said dazedly, and then realization sank in. 

“You jeopardize the mission, (Y/N). JARVIS will help you with anything while we’re gone. You should take the time to reflect.” He turned on heel and walked away, and when he slammed the door behind him, you ran into the bathroom. Turning on the fan and the water, it was loud enough to cover your sobs. 

How could Steve say that to you? You had one moment of weakness––just one, stupid kiss––and now you were the one of the entire team? They’d been so sure everything would be fine when they took you on as the sole omega Avenger. You should have never come. 

“(Y/N)? Are you in there?” Bruce called from the other side of the bathroom door. 

“Go away!” you yelled. “I have everything I need!”

“Are you sure?” he asked, and you felt bad for lashing out at him, but you didn’t want his pity or aid. 

“Yes! Leave me alone!” You heard the door shut again, and it made your heart ache. Maybe you were in the wrong, but did he need to yell at you like that? Make you feel two inches tall and like a dirty slut? When did just a kiss become so bad? s

“I wish I wasn’t an omega,” you hissed to yourself, sitting on the tiles and putting your head between your knees. As you spoke, as if in irony, cramps seized your stomach. Under the cold water, you hadn’t noticed the slick coming from your core, or the heat that rippled over your skin. You turned off the water, knowing you needed to get to the bed before you drifted into delirium, and grabbed a fresh towel and limped out, cramps coming with every step. 

You had heat suppression pills in the bedside table, but it didn’t seem right to take them. You deserved this. If you just took Steve as your alpha, you could have all the satisfaction you needed. But you were too difficult. You took the case back to the bathroom and poured the medicine down the toilet. There. Now you wouldn’t be tempted. You regretted your actions as soon as you felt the next round of cramps hit, but you had a lot to regret. 

Drenched in sweat and producing so much damn slick, you lay on the bed, sickened by the lingering smell of Steve’s anger. You couldn’t masturbate because of it, and you weren’t sure you could come anyways. You felt too terrible. 

––––

“JARVIS,” you whined after maybe two hours of lying there miserable. “Has everyone left?” Bucky still might be there… and you could get the knot you needed… ugh, you knew how he felt; he was thick and hot and perfect and he could give you what you needed. 

“You are the only Avenger left, Miss (Y/L/N). I advise you to drink some liquids––you are extremely dehydrated.” He was right. 

“I can’t,” you mumbled. “This is a punishment…” 

“Miss (Y/L/N), you could place yourself in serious danger! Please drink.” You needed water. Rolling off the bed, you realized you were still naked, and you put on some shorts and a t-shirt. Then you stumbled to the mini fridge and grabbed three bottles. You downed two while you were still standing, but halfway through the third dizziness hit you, and you fell forward, arms blindly flailing. Your forehead hit the corner of the fridge, and you cried out, dropping the water. 

You couldn’t get up from there, and you felt blood trickle down your face. That was a nasty cut, but head wounds always bled more. Closing your eyes, you fell asleep. 

––––

When you woke up, your need was greater than ever, and you managed to alleviate it with a little self-attendance. After drinking four bottles of water and rinsing off in the shower and putting some clean clothes on, you were alright. Your heart was still raw and aching, but at least there wasn’t blood crusted to your brow. 

You spent the next three days of your heat crying a lot, trying to get yourself off (with very little success), and trying to drink copious amounts of water. JARVIS was worried, but he couldn’t send anyone up to you because you wouldn’t allow it, and it was too dangerous in case they were an alpha or beta set off by your scent. 

While trying to open your window on the third day for some fresh air, you shattered it, and the class cut your arms up. “Shit,” you mumbled. “JARVIS, are there any bandaids in here?” 

“Of course, Miss (Y/L/N). Right in the basket where you got the cotton for your head. You should change that bandage.” 

“Right, thank you,” you murmured. You grabbed a granola bar from your small food stash and forced it down. Food tasted dry and bitter during your heat, but you needed it for strength. Maximum protein bars for you. 

“The rest of the team should be back tomorrow,” JARVIS informed you. You were dying of heat and cramps, but when he said that, you got a chill. 

“Thanks for letting me know,” you said, deciding then that they wouldn’t know how bad this heat had been. Your dignity was barely all you had left. 

You went about cleaning the blood off your floor, and making the place look as slick-free as possible. Your heat got worse as you didn’t sleep or drink, but you didn’t notice. Around 3 a.m., you felt that it was pretty clean, and you crumpled to the door and passed out. 

––––

When you woke up, your whole body was aching and your mouth felt like sandpaper, but you noticed that your temperature was down, and you weren’t lying in a pool of slick. Good. You didn’t need to be in heat when everyone was home. You took another shower, and when someone knocked on your door, you were clean and dressed. 

“(Y/N)? It’s me, Nat,” Natasha said from the other side. You opened the door, and tried to force a smile, but your lip split and blood trickled down your chin. 

“Oh gosh, sorry!” you chirped. You turned and ran for a tissue, but you were still limping, and you nearly fell into the windowsill. 

“Are you okay?” Nat asked. “You seem a little… off. And I don’t want to be rude, but you look like shit. What happened to your head? And arms?”

“I hit my head, and I broke the window,” you said, putting some chapstick on. “Just heat stuff, y’know? This one wasn’t bad. I slept through it. How was the mission? You sound happy, you look happy, I bet it was great.” 

“We found two more unusual individuals, twins,” she said slowly, coming to sit on the bed. “Your room’s totally clean, who did that?” 

“Twins, that’s awesome,” you said, ignoring her question. “Do you have any food? I’m starving.” 

“There’s food downstairs,” she said. “We missed you. The twins got away, but you may have been able to sway them.” You sat next to her, shielding your face with your hair. 

“Not on my heat I couldn’t.” You fiddled with your hands, and without warning she grabbed your chin and made you look at her. “Ouch!” you exclaimed. 

“(Y/N), your eyes are so bloodshot! Have you been sleeping?” You scoffed weakly. 

“Yeah, that’s all I did!” She frowned, seeing right through your lie. 

“I’m paging Bruce. JARVIS, how much as (Y/N) slept?” 

“Don’t answer!” you yelped, at the same time that JARVIS replied. “12 hours over the last four days. She flushed her medicine down the toilet.” 

“Damnnit!” you shouted, and Nat’s eyes got wide. 

“(Y/N), you threw out the pills? Why the hell would you do that?! Bruce, get up here. (Y/N)’s been trying to kill herself. I think she cleaned her room too.” 

“Not true!” you exclaimed. “I just wanted to get through my heat on my own! It felt great. Super natural.” 

Footsteps rushed to the door, and you swayed as Clint, Bruce, and Tony all ran in. They saw you sitting there, and Tony burst into an epithet of swears. His agitation made you nervous, and you shrank back as he approached. Bruce looked into your eyes, and his worry made you feel guilty. 

“(Y/N), we need to get you to an IV, alright? You needs liquids. Have you been eating?”

“It tasted too bad,” you mumbled. 

Tony exploded. “Why did you do this, (Y/N)?! This was fucking stupid! You could have killed yourself––you’re already all bandaged up from god-knows-what you did!” You bit your lip, your stomach churning. Rising to your feet, despite the lingering pain, you ran by your friends and out into the hall, where you made your way by bracing yourself against the wall. 

“Let me carry you,” Clint offered, catching up. You grimly shook your head, and then pushed his thoughts to leave you alone. It must have worked, because he backed off. 

You made it to the medical center and collapsed on a table, stretching an arm out for Bruce. He wasted no time, hooking you up to an IV and cleaning your larger cuts out. You ignored their questions, and just focused up on the white ceiling. They had left you alone, and if they had wanted to know about your heat cycle they could have stayed. 

“She’s not gonna talk, fellas. Leave her be,” Nat said. You listened to them go, and then you looked at her with a faint smile. 

“Thanks,” you said, but she didn’t return the smile. 

“You really scared me, (Y/N). What happened with Steve? He was all out of sorts on the mission, completely distracted.”

You felt your eyes sting, and you looked away. “He yelled at me for kissing Bucky. I guess with my impending heat I was emotionally wrecked, and I decided to… self-punish myself? When I saw it out loud it sounds more logical I guess.” You started to cry again, which was embarrassing, but at least it was only Nat. 

“What did he say?” she probed gently. You shrugged. 

“I… I don’t remember. But it was the way he said it, y’know? He dominated me and made me feel worthless. I never want tot feel like that again. If Bucky’s staying, I think I’ll transfer out.” You were surprised that you came to that conclusion, but as you thought about it you were comfortable with the idea. “I mean, I don’t think we can stay away from each other, and Steve needs his friend. Maybe I’ll find another alpha that makes me feel as good as he does.” You won’t, your mind whispered, but you decided to deal with that later. “I just cause conflict here.” 

“You are not leaving,” she said firmly, grabbing your hand. “Steve was out of line as your alpha. We’ll figure this out, okay?” You laughed, sniffling. 

“Okay. I think I’m gonna nap now, if that’s alright?” she nodded and let you go, her auburn curls bouncing as she stood. 

“Sweet dreams, (Y/N). Please sleep more than you did while we were gone.”


	3. Co-Alphas?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader is awake, healthy, and ready to solve the issue of having Bucky as her alpha, and Steve as the team alpha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for all the kudos and comments! I really appreciate it:) I hope you like this chapter!

You slept for twenty-six hours. When you woke up, your whole body felt refreshed, if a bit stiff. You yanked the IV out of your arm and cheerfully hopped up, testing your feet on the cold floor. When you stood without issue, you went in search of real food. There was no one in the communal kitchen, but there was frozen pizza, and you threw on in the oven, eating grapes while you waited. 

“JARVIS, where is everyone?” you wondered. 

“They are currently out shopping, Miss (Y/L/N).” You raised an eyebrow, and shrugged it off. Maybe they’d ruined all their clothes for fighting or something. 

“Mr. Rogers is still present, however.” You winced at his name. 

“Where is he?” you asked. You two needed to have a chat, for the health of everyone, but also if you were going to continue to be an omega in the complex. 

“I’m right here, (Y/N).” Steve’s voice was soft, almost uncertain as he addressed you. You turned and looked at him, and the regret in his cerulean eyes was real. “I’m so sorry,” he said, and you scented the air carefully. Guilt. He was feeling guilty and sad, nothing like the domineering man who had yelled at you just days ago. 

“I accept your apology,” you said, unwilling to say it’s alright. Because it wasn’t alright. He had hurt you when you were seriously vulnerable, and it had wrecked your mental state for days. 

“Can we talk?” he said, looking at the couches off to the side. You nodded, and you both quietly walked over. You settled on one end of the plush leather, and he took the other. 

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that,” he confessed, and you nodded in agreement, which made him smile in exasperation. Good. He needed to relax. “I just saw the effect that Bucky immediately had on you, and I was jealous, both as an alpha and as a man.” He paused, letting that sink in. 

“As a man?” you asked curiously, and his cheeks reddened. 

“I thought for a while that you and I might… become more than friends, but it’s evident that we’re not meant for that.” 

You were quiet as you considered this. “I’m sorry that I’ve never really seen you that way. Remember when we tried kissing? It was a disaster, and it just doesn’t feel right.” You smiled as you thought of kissing Bucky. “Damn, Steve, Bucky was just… something else. Like a puzzle piece that I was missing, and he was a perfect fit.” 

“We’ll talk about that later,” Steve said. “Back to me apologizing. Bucky challenged my position as the alpha of this team, and it really rattled me, because I’ve been indisputably the alpha for years…”

“But I don’t have to be yours for you to be the leader,” you said, the gears in your mind turning. “In fact, I don’t want to belong to anyone. I hated how it felt when you used your rank to shame me, and I never want to feel like that again. So from now on, I want to be able to knot with whoever I want, and not have any repercussions for it!” You were flushed and your pulse was racing as you regarded your alpha, knowing he could cut the idea down with one word. He wasn’t saying anything, so you pressed on. 

“I may be an omega, but it wasn’t my choice, and I don’t want it to define my relationships as much as it does. The next time I see Bucky, I want to run with how it feels, not repress it. That may make you not the head alpha, but you’ll always be our leader, Steve.” You paused as your heart opened up, and you were suddenly shy with how much you were sharing with him. “I’ve never been so drawn to someone as I am to Bucky, and it freaks me out, but this could be a one-time thing, y’know? I have to work for it. I can’t let this go.” 

There was more silence, and you bit your lip nervously as Steve pondered your words. Finally, after what felt like hours, he looked up. His face was warm and open, and you could have cried from relief. But damn, you had been crying so much, and you were done with that. 

“I want you to be happy, (Y/N), and I need to make sure I always choose being your friend over being your alpha. If Bucky will make you happy, then I’ll help you get there.” He opened his arms for a hug, and you jumped forward with a squeal of glee. 

“Thank you Steve!! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Where is Bucky? I need to talk to him!” A dark thought crossed your mind. “But what if he doesn’t like me anymore? What if I’m reading into this too much?” 

“Calm down!” Steve exclaimed. “We’re having a party tonight, and that’s why everyone was out shopping. Nat was talking with him about what you were going to wear, and he was giving input and talking about what would bring out your ‘gorgeous’ eyes. Trust me, he’s in deep.” 

It was a little weird that Bucky was talking about your clothes with Natasha, but you’d take it. “How do I look?” you demanded. Then the timer for your pizza went off, and you sprinted away, your appearance forgotten as you thought of food. 

“You look great, can I have some?” Steve called, and you shook your head, cutting the pizza with speed and agility and then tearing into it like a wild dog. 

“I’m starving! And you’ll eat it all! Make your own!” Chuckling, he came over and grabbed one for himself. You were halfway through the pizza before you remembered to breath, and when you did you choked on the oxygen and the burning in your mouth and the food. You slumped at the table, giggling. 

“You’re weird,” Steve said decidedly. You beamed at him, finally feeling better. 

“Have you talked about me with him?” you asked, and he shook his head. 

“No. I was worried it would set him off if I challenged his alpha nature. So I went to you instead, which was a huge mistake.” 

“You could say that again,” you mumbled. “I wonder what Tony said to him the night he caught us making out.” 

“Oh, Tony told me about that,” Steve said candidly. “He asked Bucky if he was willing and ready to take on the lead alpha position if he took you, and that if he was, he should wait until after the mission because we needed to be united.” He frowned. “We weren’t united at all. Leaving you behind and then Bucky and I having tension––it distracted us. I think that’s why the twins got away.” 

“I’ll come next time,” you said. “I can help––my fighting’s getting better too.” Steve snorted. 

“Don’t lie to me, (Y/N), I’ve seen you fight. And if you knot with Bucky, he’s gonna be pretty defensive. He may not want you in the action.” 

You narrowed your eyes. “I’m an independent omega. He’ll have to deal with it.” Steve laughed, and you grinned wickedly. No more would alphas have say over what you wanted to do. Or who you wanted to do. 

The elevator dinged open unexpectedly, making you jump. In strode Tony, Natasha, Clint, Thor, and… Bucky. The moment you saw him, Steve nudged your ribs with his elbow. “Ready to ‘run with it’?” he teased. You push him away, already blushing. So maybe you had said that with a lot of confidence that you would know what to do when you saw Bucky, but now that his gorgeous blue eyes were boring into yours, you were totally blanking. 

“(Y/N)! You woke up, and took your IV out by yourself!” Tony said with a frown. “Why can’t you ever wait?” 

“Too hungry,” you replied. You were still staring at Bucky, and he was still staring at you. Everyone was silent as you looked and looked and looked. Then Nat snapped her fingers in front of your face, and you jerked your eyes to her smirking face as your whole body flushed. 

“I got you a dress. We have a party tonight.” You nodded slowly and took the garment bag from her. She winked. “He helped choose it.” 

“Cooooool,” you said, drawing the word out awkwardly and slowly. Clint choked on a laugh, and then you slid off the stool, and darted to the elevator. “Seeyouguystonightbye!” 

“(Y/N), wait!” Bucky called, and he jumped into the elevator just as the doors were sliding closed. You sucked in a breath as he landed next to you, his hand brushing yours. The contact was electric, and then with one smooth step he closed the gap between you and his lips were on yours. 

The dress bag slid out of your hand, forgotten as he shoved you into the wall, his hair tickling your face. You whimpered as his tongue entered your mouth, and he pinned your wrists above your head, the different temperatures of his hands dizzying you. He tasted tart and sweet at the same time, like dark chocolate, and he smelled like spices and faintly of metal. It completely filled your senses. 

He pulled back slightly, pressing his forehead to yours. “I needed that,” he murmured gruffly. “You have no idea.”

“Oh, I think I do,” you breathed back, and he grinned before attacking you again, barely touching your lips before he moved to your jaw and neck. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders, running your hands through his ragged hair and over his impressive muscles. 

“We have a party tonight,” you gasped out as he nipped your collarbone, grinding himself into you. “We can’t… lock ourselves in my bedroom…”

“My bedroom then,” he growled. “I’ve waited too long for this.” You nudged him back, using a little more force than normal––alphas were hard to deter. 

“My dress is going to get wrinkled, and I need a shower.” You patted his cheek affectionately. “The beds aren’t going anywhere.” He lunged forward again and you forgot what you were trying to convince him of as he dragged you into him. 

His voice was husky as he spoke. “Why wait for the bed?” His words went straight to your core, and you wished more than anything that the mission could be ignored. But then you stepped on the edge of your garment bag, and you remembered your responsibilities. 

“We need to keep the pack united,” you said, regretfully slipping your hands onto his wrists to guide them away from your waist. “And that means you and Steve are co-alphas, with him leading our missions, and you getting me.” 

“Co-alphas?” he said dubiously, following you out of the elevator. “Can that work?”

“We’ll make it work,” you said firmly, reaching your door. You turned around and raised an eyebrow as he waisted, clearly intending to enter with you. You crossed your arms, and he mimicked you, adopting your exasperated expression. 

“Buck, you have to wait! Let me get ready in peace!”

“I really want to go down on you,” he replied boldly, a wicked smile forming on his lips. You inwardly groaned, and there was a long stretch of silence as you worried your lip and considered his offer. You wanted him to go down on you. Hell, you wanted him to stay in your bedroom forever, but you also needed to show the team that having a pack alpha and a team alpha was possible. 

“I want that to,” you finally said. “But, what I want more is to have no complications and meet you properly as an omega.” 

“How unfortunate,” he sighed. “Well, I tried to seduce you know, and it’s good to know later that you’ll be ready and willing.” You rolled your eyes.

“Was there any question of that?” He pretended to thoughtfully consider your question, and then just smiled and walked away. You slid inside your room before he could come back and change your mind properly, and you were just thrilled to find slick starting to form. Damn alphas. 

You showered quickly, and changed into the dress. You were pleased to discover it was perfect for your eyes, and was tight enough to be sexy while also loose where it counted to hide weapons. Your thigh holster was invisible, and you did a little makeup for good measure. After slipping on some cute boots (you weren’t sure how Nat managed to wander around in heels), you were ready to go. 

Tony was the only one downstairs when you arrived, and he was dressed in a sharp suit. “Looking hot, (Y/N),” he said approvingly. “How was your chat with Bucky?” 

“Too short,” you said sourly, and he laughed at your disgruntled expression. “We need a long chunk of uninterrupted time.” 

“Well, you have to wait. Social upkeep calls.” Tony said, and you just shook your head. You knew Bucky was getting really tired of holding back, and you weren’t withstanding the pressure too well either. And all the stress you had dealt with before, just to keep him away? Completely unneeded and unnecessary. Having co-alphas was going to work perfectly, and if it didn’t, you were going to damn well make it work perfectly. 

Steve came in and gave you an appreciative nod, followed by Natasha, Clint and Bruce. Thor and Bucky came in last, and Bucky came straight to your side. He looked you over like everyone else, but his gaze was smoldering. Fuck. This party couldn’t have come at a worse time. 

“Look, if you two can’t keep it together for tonight, we’ll have to separate you,” Tony said irritably. “I won’t have the entire government watch you ruin our good reputation!” 

“Oh please,” you snorted. “Like you were any better with Pepper! We literally had to drag you out of bed to do missions.” 

Tony was about to defend himself, but Steve interjected. “Let’s all argue about this later, alright? (Y/N) has something to announce about the multiple alpha situation.” You were startled to be put on the spot, and you felt your palms get clammy as everyone turned their eyes to you. These people were your friends and you knew they cared about you, but what if they hated the idea? 

Bucky slid an arm around your waist, and the contact was comforting rather than sexual, which was a welcome first. “You got this, doll,” he encouraged, and you took a deep breath. 

“I want Bucky and Steve to be co-alphas,” you blurted out, intending to deliver a nice speech, but unable to formulate it mentally. “Steve can be the alpha of the Avengers as a team, and Bucky will be the alpha of the Avengers as a pack.” 

You saw everyone look around at each other, uncertain of this new proposition. Steve was nodding, but Thor seemed skeptical, and Nat and Clint were raising their eyebrows. 

“But if you’re with Bucky, (Y/N),” Thor wondered. “How is Steve still the head alpha?” 

“Well he isn’t,” you said, and then you realized how rude that sounded. “But he is! So basically, even though I’m going to knot with Bucky,” you flushed as you spoke, but his warmth at your side supported you, and, well, they all knew it was going to happen eventually. “Steve is the leader of this team. He’s tactically gifted, dedicated to our goal, and he wants everyone to work together. Bucky isn’t about to step into that position, even if he has me.” You frowned. “I don’t even see why this is a problem. It’s the 21st century––why does possession of the omega even matter so much?! Get with the times, people.” 

“I agree,” Steve piped up, and you sagged in relief. “(Y/N) is a woman who has the freedom to be with whomever she chooses––even as an omega and with all that entails. I’m more than willing to work with Bucky.” He came forward and Bucky moved away from you, and it seemed as though the whole room held its breath as they considered one another. 

“Till the end of the line,” Steve said quietly, and your heart swelled as Bucky smiled. The shook one another’s hands, and there was a notable shift in the atmosphere. They were officially co-alphas. 

“Alright, alright, can we go now?” Tony complained. “We have real work to do, remember? A party, (Y/N)? I think you said something about a party in your little speech. We’re gonna be late for all the alcohol.”

You grinned as Bucky came back to you, and your hands wound together as you went to the elevator. “When we go on a mission I want you to stay away from the action, (Y/N),” Bucky said worriedly. “I really don’t want you to get hurt.”

You exchanged an exasperated glance with Steve, who chuckled. “Bucky, I know we’re ridiculously attracted to each other, but you really don’t know me at all. I’m gonna be right in there.” 

“She’s pretty bad at fighting,” Natasha said, and you glared daggers at her. 

“I’m afraid I agree,” Steve said gravely, and he ducked and laughed as you attempted to sock him in his pretty white teeth. “It’s true, (Y/N)! You’re much more useful in negotiations.” 

“I can totally fight! None of you have even seen me in a real situation in months! I’ve been working my tail off.” 

“Sure, sure,” Clint teased, and you crossed your arms, making them laugh even more. 

“For tonight, (Y/N) is a gift,” Tony proclaimed. “Everyone at the party will like us, because she will make them.” 

“As if,” you replied. Let Tony make friends by himself. He was a big boy. The whole time, Bucky’s presence so close to you made your skin feel warm and your heart beat a little faster, and his easy banter with Steve made you feel at peace. Finally, everything seemed to be going right.


	4. Party Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a few hellish, stress-filled days, Bucky and the reader finally get some time to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING SMUT!! Sail onwards if you feel that you want to read it, and I'll summarize in the notes at the end if that's not really your cup of tea:)
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy––this is my first lemon, so I hope it's up to snuff!

The party passed in a blur of colorful cocktails and small amounts of contact with Bucky. Tony kept him away from you, or you away from him, and while you understood the need to be formal, you were dying for a little contact. Even after just a couple hours of being close, you felt colder and less comfortable without him. You were put off by everyone else’s scents as well, save a couple fellow omegas. 

Sharon Carter was a friend of yours, and she had helped you get through your first couple heats without an alpha. You admired her steely resolve, and her determination to take no shit from anyone. She was an awesome omega. 

“So, you and Bucky, huh?” she said with a secretive smile, leaning towards you over a table. You looked around for the alpha in question, and found him standing with Steve at the bar. They were deep in conversation, but he looked up as soon as he felt you staring he held your gaze. 

“Um,” you said intelligently, trying to get over his ridiculously fantastic looks. How did the metal arm look so natural and so hot? You had it so bad. “We haven’t like done anything serious yet, but I think it’s about to… get pretty serious.” 

“I can tell. Your scent flares whenever you look at him, and you just got over a heat.” You swiveled back around, startled that she knew that. Normally omegas kept their heats pretty quiet, especially in the Avengers. 

“How’d you know?” you asked wonderingly. 

“This sounds weird,” she confessed. “But after you asked me for advice on getting through heats without alphas, I checked in with Pepper and JARVIS to make sure you were okay. You’re like a little sister to me! If you needed any help, I was ready to be there.” 

You were flattered by her confession, and it made you feel embarrassingly teary. “Thanks,” you said, your voice catching. “That means a lot.” You laughed it off weakly, and tried to move on before you fell headfirst into a sobfest. 

“So, any alphas you’re with right now?” you said, adopting a sultry tone. “Anyone you’ve got your eye on?” 

Her laugh was nervous, and you got confused. You two often teased one another shamelessly, and it wasn’t like her to be at all awkward. “Actually, about that,” she stammered. “Since you’re with Bucky now… and you were never really with Steve… I was gonna see if he––” 

You caught on quickly. “Oh my GOODNESS! Sharon, that’s perfect! He’s totally checked you out, and that would be so good for the team!” 

“What would be good for the team?” a low voice asked in your ear, and you were caught off guard as Bucky slid an arm around you, his fingers grazing your stomach. A prickle of heat ran across your skin. 

“Nothing,” Sharon said quickly, giving you a warning with her eyes. “(Y/N) and I were just talking about you two, and the co-alpha situation.” 

“It’s a good deal,” Bucky said with a grin. In a button-down and slacks, a tie loosely drawn about his neck, he looked like every terrible fantasy you’d ever had come to life. 

“What’s up?” you asked, not noticing Sharon melt away into the crowd. 

“Tony said we could leave,” he said bluntly. “And if you don’t come with me, I’m throwing you over my shoulder and taking you by force.” The way he said it was blatantly suggestive, and you hated knowing that your pheromones were floating all over the room. Well, at least everyone would know that you two were together. 

“I’m ready,” you said, and then you practically ran out the door, yelling a hurried “Bye!” over your shoulder. Bucky held your hand tightly, and you started to snicker as the crazed implications of your actions set in. 

“What’s so funny?” he said, turning with a slight smile on his perfect lips. 

“We’re like horny teenagers,” you replied, giggling more as you made it outside. He hailed a cab, never letting go of your hand. His grip was firm, but his hands were gentle. 

“Well, if you think about it,” he said as a cab pulled up. “Alphas and omegas basically never leave being teenagers. Mood swings, fits of sexual need, issues with authority?”

“Sounds about right,” you said thoughtfully, and he tugged you into the cab.

––––

Your poor cab driver had no idea who he had in his vehicle, but he was a beta, and your hormones were clearly polluting the air. He kept glancing back in the rearview mirror, and you had to fight to keep from laughing, squeezing Bucky’s hand to control yourself. When you pulled up to the Avengers tower, he turned with a gaping mouth, and Bucky threw some money at him as you slid out, unable to hold back your mirth any longer. 

“His face!” you gasped, holding your sides to keep yourself together. Bucky was laughing too, and his face opened up when he smiled. It was so vulnerable that you stopped laughing, struck by how the planes of his face changed a dangerous assassin into a normal man, out with a (mostly) normal girl. 

“What?” he asked, noticing your sudden silence. You shook your head with a smile. The time for sentimentality was not now. 

“Nothing at all,” you said, and he took your hand again as you went inside. The elevator ride, unlike all the other ones you’d had with him, was quiet and void of any making out. Bucky seemed reserved, not nervous, but he was clearly holding himself back, which you didn’t get. You were allowed to be together, after a few stressful days, and now he was deciding to act all proper? You weren’t in the mood for proper. 

You went to your floor, and he followed you into your bedroom. It had been cleaned up since your heat, which was a relief. “Here we are!” you said, turning around to look at Bucky. He looked around, and seemed uncertain, and you sighed. 

“What’s up? Normally you push me into walls and such to turn me on, and this new approach isn’t doing much.” You tried to keep your tone light, but you could hear a strain of worry. Your conversation with Steve earlier drifted into your head––Bucky wasn’t suddenly disinterested, was he?

“Is this okay?” he asked, and he must have seen the confusion in your eyes, because he continued. “Being with me? Knotting with me? I don’t share my omegas, (Y/N). What we have, this connection, it’s serious. I don’t want to sleep with you unless you see this as something that could last.” You let his words sink in, and you smiled as you realized the truth of his words. 

“Buck, before you, I never really wanted any alpha. They were there, they smelled good during heats, but other than that? I was pretty indifferent. And then you walk in, look me in the eyes, and I’m completely undone.” You walked forward and put a hand on his chest, his arms automatically coming forward to rest around your waist. “Believe me, if this isn’t the long run, nothing ever will be.” 

He yanked you forward and crushed his lips to yours, his tongue in your mouth before you could even blink. “Good,” he growled, all the control he’d had gone in an instant. It felt fucking glorious to be pressed to him, one of his hands tangled in your hair, and the other tightly wrapped around your body. His skin was so hot, and you wanted more of it to be touching you. You grabbed at his tie, your fingers clumsy as passion started to cloud your head. 

With a snort, he let go of you and undid his tie, his lips never leaving yours. He backed you towards the bed, and right before you sat down he knocked you over, pushing your hands above your head. He moved his attention to your neck, and you arched into him, letting out a whine. You didn’t notice his fingers deftly winding the tie around your wrists, and in the next moment you found yourself bound. 

“Hey!” you exclaimed, put out that you couldn’t touch him. He grinned, all the charm and danger of the devil in his smile, and then he slid off the bed onto his knees, and you realized what he was about to do. “Sex is really all I’m looking for right now,” you stammered, suddenly uncomfortable. None of your alphas, or any beta, had ever done that for you… though you were no stranger for giving oral sex.

“I said I wanted to do this, didn't I?” he drawled, and you squeaked as he ran his hands up your thighs, dipping under the hem of your dress to grasp the delicate lace panties that you wore. They were… pretty damp. 

“Damn doll,” he murmured when he’d stripped them off, removing your shoes as well. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”

“I mean, I really try,” you gasped back. You were about to say something else witty or clever––being nervous really made you run your mouth––but any idea of what you could say was lost as Bucky leaned in and licked up your slit, slow and deliberate. You cried out, no words able to encompass the sensation. He practically smiled against you, and then flicked his tongue against your clit, which made you writhe. 

“Oh fuck––Bucky please!” you cried out. He ran his hands possessively over your hips, and you glanced down, just as he looked up. The moment was electric and unlike anything else you had experienced––he was kneeling before you, but still had all the power. You loved it. Maintaining eye contact, he began to thrust in and out of you with his tongue, and you were too overcome to keep your head up. 

You could feel something coiling in your stomach, hot and intense and so much more potent than anything you experienced in your heat. You had been moving around, but now all you could do way lay there and trust that he would carry you to the end. 

He did. You were nearly there, your orgasm so close that your muscles were practically cramping, when he stopped. The sudden absence of pressure made you want to sob, but then he kissed your clit, and you crashed over the edge. You arched into the air, pressing yourself into him, and you shuddered for what felt like hours, though it was probably only a few glorious seconds. 

When you came down from your high, Bucky was untying your wrists, and you exhaustedly pulled him towards you, your fingers winding into his thick hair, your legs open and prone. Your alpha. He was your alpha. You stretched up to kiss him, and he ducked his head away, which confused you. “Too much slick,” he murmured in your ear, and a moment later he kissed you, with significantly less amounts of it. 

You could feel his cock through his pants, and the pressure of it against your thigh made your eyes roll back a little. “Please,” you panted. “I need you.” 

“Let’s get you out of these clothes,” he said, and you enthusiastically agreed. Your dress gave you trouble as you tried to undo the zipper, so you instead went for Bucky’s shirt, and undid the buttons as quickly as you could. When it was finally open, you ran a hand over his abs, marveling at how much strength he held in his body. He slipped the shirt off and you stood, taking all of him in, and kissing anything you could reach. Meanwhile, he helped you out of your dress, and since it had a built-in bra, you stood before him entirely naked. You had been naked in front of men before, but none of them had ever looked at you so… reverently. 

“You’re beautiful,” he stated, and you smiled shyly, before undoing his belt and pants. They fell away, and you laughed when you saw that he wasn’t wearing any underwear. And then you stopped laughing and started kissing him again, with a renewed passion when you saw his member. He tackled you onto the bed once more, and you felt him pause as he lined himself up at your entrance. “Ready?” he asked, and you could barely nod before he sheathed himself inside you. 

He groaned in time with you at the feeling, and all you could think of was how this was fucking perfect, and it was exactly what you had dreamed of and what you had known that he could provide. He stretched you slightly, but he fit between your hips like he was made to be there; like he was made to be your alpha. 

He kissed you, just a bare brushing of your lips––a gentle reminder of affection. Then he rolled his hips back and forward, and tenderness took a backseat. He gripped your legs, and you folded them around him, pushing your hips up to meet his thrusts. You felt so full, and you were still sensitive from him eating you out, but his movements still sparked pleasure.

His hands were likely leaving bruises on your skin, and you knew you left marks raking your nails down his back, but all that washed away as he changed his angle and caught something fantastic inside you. 

“Right there Buck,” you managed to get out, your voice cracking and breathy from the pace he had set. Sweat was beading on your skin, but it felt good, to be so close to him, finally allowed to touch one another the way you had wanted. You were intoxicated on his scent, and the way his skin rubbed against yours, and the feel of his stubble against your cheek. 

“You’re so tight, (Y/N), it’s perfect, you’re perfect…” he said, his voice low and vulnerable and fuck, you needed to have him talk dirty to you someday. He had the ideal voice for it. 

He had been moving steadily, but as you whined when he hit you where you most wanted it, he sped up, adding more force. The bed was creaking and you were being thrown into the mattress again and again, but this was less about love, and more about sating the tension that had been plaguing you both for days. 

“(Y/N), I’m close,” he grunted, and you slammed your lips into his, biting and licking harshly. He responded with equal vigor, and buried his face in your neck, nipping your scent glands. You could feel his knot swelling, and your own release was imminent. Just a few more thrusts, just like that… This orgasm was more powerful than before, your body commanded to release more than coaxed into it. 

You screamed as you came, and when your walls clenched around his member, his knot popped and he climaxed, slamming into you one final time. He continued to shift in you as his body spasmed, and then he collapsed on top of you, breathing heavily. 

You lay there in silence for a few minutes, reveling in the feeling of being knotted. Then you realized how exhausted you were. 

“I think I’m gonna pass out,” you said. “I promise my stamina’s normally better, but right now all I can think about is how soft this bed is, and he right Tony’s was about a high thread count in the sheets.” 

“Please don’t talk about Tony right now,” Bucky muttered into your neck. “I’m very happy without thinking about him.” You chuckled weakly, and experimentally wiggled your hips. Bucky drew in a breath with a sharp hiss. 

“Don’t do that unless you’re suddenly more awake,” he warned. “And you should sleep for tonight, because you had hellish heat and then slept drugged. You need actual rest.” The regret in his voice was hilarious, but you didn’t laugh for both your sakes. Laughing made your position feel a little different, and you weren’t sure you could go another round with your eyes drooping. 

“I’ll pull out when I can, (Y/N). You can sleep,” Bucky said soothingly, and with a contented sigh, your eyes fell shut, and you were out. The last thing you felt was Bucky kissing your forehead, his lips softer than any feathered mattress, and his touch so gentle you could hardly perceive it as him. You wanted to open your eyes and see his expression, but you had all the time in the world for that later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you didn't want to read the lemon, at the party the reader learns that Sharon is interested in being Steve's omega, and then basically Bucky and the reader knot and then fall asleep. 
> 
> This was originally the final chapter of this story when I started writing it, but I think I want to go a little further and develop all the relationships more, as this doesn't feel like an end to me. Please let me know what you think in the comments! Again, than you for the kudos and feedback:)


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